Nissan NOTE Review

If you don’t want to put valuable items in the boot, as with the Micra, there is more hidden storage under the front passenger’s seat squab.

If you don’t want to put valuable items in the boot, as with
the Micra, there is more hidden storage under the front passenger’s
seat squab. This does depend on the trim level, of which there are
three: S, SE and SVE. All have a 9-litre glovebox but the S doesn’t
have the benefit of a cooling or warming vent that works in conjunction
with the air-conditioning system.

Reading through the specification sheet, it becomes clear that
the NOTE S is limited in terms of available options and that it
is worth paying the extra £1,000 for the SE or £2,000
for the bells-and whistles, SVE model.

Prices start at £9,995 for the S with a 1.4, petrol engine,
which is only available with the 5-speed manual transmission, as
is the SE. The same price differential is applied to the NOTE housing
the 1.6 petrol engine and those with the 1.5 dCi, diesel unit as
tested.

This diesel unit produces 86PS (that’s 84.8 bhp) at 3750rpm
and 200Nm of torque at 1900rpm. It is only available in combination
with the manual gearbox and will propel the car from a standing
start to 62mph in 13 seconds and will reach a top speed of 104mph,
where legal.

Taking the diesel option does mean paying a premium of £300
over the petrol-powered NOTE but the fuel consumption benefit makes
it worth it. The official figures for the diesel are 47.9 mpg for
the urban cycle, 61.4 mpg for the extra-urban and 55.4 mpg for the
combined.

I started by saying that the young designer wanted to continue
enjoying his driving - I think he got his wish. Whilst the NOTE’s
acceleration may not be blistering and some may hanker for a higher
top speed, the NOTE is a very enjoyable drive.